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"provides a rich source of self-reported data on the health and health care of Connecticut residents, including health insurance coverage, access and sources of care, continuity of care, health status and patient-provider experience."

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Connecticut Health Care Survey, a groundbreaking study of
Connecticut residents’ views on their health and health care, shows that
many here have access to and receive consistent, high quality health
care. However, much work remains to be done, particularly as it relates
to chronic disease prevalence among adults and children.

As noted in the Executive Summary of The Connecticut Health Care Survey,
which was released by the survey’s funders today, the survey “provides a
rich source of self-reported data on the health and health care of
Connecticut residents, including health insurance coverage, access and
sources of care, continuity of care, health status and patient-provider
experience.”

Driven by CollaborationSix health foundations in
Connecticut sponsored the survey, marking an unprecedented level of
cooperation and collaboration in pursuit of the shared goal of a
healthier population. The funders include: The Aetna Foundation;
Connecticut Health Foundation; the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue
Medical Research Foundation; the Foundation for Community Health;
Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut; and the Children’s Fund
of Connecticut. The study was conducted by the Office of Survey Research
at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Speaking as a collaborative group, the funders noted: “The Connecticut
Health Survey is a first of its kind in terms of the information it
sought and its collaborative genesis and funding. The results will set a
baseline of data from which improvements or declines in population
health can be measured. This data provides a meaningful and valuable
foundation for further efforts to improve the health status of everyone
in Connecticut. We are proud to present this work of four years to the
State and to all parties to the health care system here. We hope it will
be used as intended: to inform future health policy and programs; and to
measure their impact. We look forward to working with policy-makers,
regulators, and other health foundations here and elsewhere to explore
the opportunities highlighted by this survey and to measure changes
driven by new policy and new law, including the Affordable Care Act.”

Survey Findings Point to Needed ImprovementAmong the many
findings in the survey, as highlighted in the Executive Summary, was
information indicating that Connecticut residents, and particularly
children, are generally healthier and have better access to a routine
source of care and insurance coverage than national averages. However, a
number of measures are concerning including the following which
represent the full population surveyed. The full survey and the
Executive Summary also show that in the following areas and others,
disparities in care by race and ethnicity persist.

Some 13 percent of adults report their health to be fair or poor,
which is similar to national estimates, and 45 percent report having
been told by a health professional that they have diabetes,
hypertension, asthma, heart disease and/or cancer – all of which can
lead to substantial health care costs if not managed carefully.

Among adults, 11 percent experienced a time in the prior year when
they could not get the care they needed, and 28 percent reported
postponing needed medical care in the prior year. Among these two
groups, 59 percent said worrying about the cost was the predominant
reason for their unmet medical needs.

Having a usual source of care to promote patient-doctor continuity and
improved trust and communication is generally aligned with better
patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes. In Connecticut, 86
percent of adults reported having a usual place to go for medical
care, which is comparable to the national average of 84 percent.
Within this group, 18 percent identified a clinic or health center as
their usual place to go for medical care, which is just shy of the
national rate of 21 percent. Also within this group, 86 percent
reported always seeing the same provider.

In terms of children, 34 percent of parents reported that their
children were overweight or obese, which is similar to 2012 national
rates, and 13 percent of children were reported to have asthma
compared to the national reported average of 9.3 percent.

Also among children, 98.5 percent were reported to have health
insurance and 98 percent had a usual place to go for medical care.

Regarding dental care, 71 percent of adults and 93 percent of children
were reported to have had a preventive dental visit in the prior year.

Conducted between June 2012 and February 2013, the telephonic survey
sought information from Connecticut residents about themselves and about
the children within their household. A total of 5,447 surveys were
completed – 4,608 regarding adults and 839 regarding children – with
households from across Connecticut in urban, suburban and rural areas.

Greater Detail in Key Areas to Be PresentedFour of the
funding health foundations are developing detailed “Policy Briefs” that
will focus on specific areas of interest and concern in health care.
Together with the Executive Summary, these briefs will help inform
Connecticut agencies and policymakers on specific steps that can be made
to improve the health of Connecticut residents.

The Aetna Foundation’s Policy Brief will be focused on the patient
experience of health care:

Patient Engagement and Provider Support of Chronic Disease
Self-management

The Children’s Fund of Connecticut’s Policy Brief will more closely
examine children’s receipt of health services that are consistent with
the medical home model of care:

Access to Coverage and Care: Targeting Implementation of the
Affordable Care Act to Improve Health in Connecticut

Opportunities to Learn MoreA discussion about the survey
and its implications for the health of Connecticut residents will be
held at WNPR’s Health Equity Forum on May 21. The conversation will be
recorded for WNPR’s Where We Live, hosted by John Dankosky. The
segment is expected to air on May 27 and on June 24. For more
information, please visit WNPR.org.